After enduring intense scrutiny and rampant speculation regarding her gender throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, gold medalist Imane Khelif has taken legal action by filing a criminal complaint in Paris over online harassment.
The Algerian boxer’s complaint, which has drawn widespread attention, notably mentions high-profile figures such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, according to recent reports.
The 25-year-old boxer lodged the complaint against unidentified individuals, accusing them of “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.” Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed to Variety that both Rowling and Musk are referenced in the complaint. These public figures, known for their anti-transgender stances, had made public statements and posts suggesting that Khelif was not a woman, further fueling the online attacks against her. Boudi also confirmed the details of the complaint to both the Associated Press and Reuters, adding that former U.S. President Donald Trump might also be part of the ongoing investigation.
“J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” Boudi stated in his interview with Variety. The complaint was officially filed with the Paris Prosecutor’s Office’s anti-online hatred division on Friday, August 9, coinciding with the day Khelif secured her gold medal in the women’s boxing 66-kilogram division at the Olympics.
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The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has acknowledged the receipt of the complaint and has launched an investigation. The investigation is focused on various charges, including “cyber harassment due to gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination, and public insult because of origin.”
In a press release shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on August 10, Boudi described the complaint as a “new fight” for the champion boxer. “After sporting time, comes judicial time. Having just won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, boxer Imane Khelif has decided to lead a new fight: that of justice, dignity, and honor,” the release, translated from French, reads.
Khelif’s legal team emphasized that the investigation would not only identify the origins of the misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign against her but also hold accountable those who contributed to the digital harassment. “The criminal investigation will determine who initiated this misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign but will also have to focus on those who fueled this digital lynching,” the statement continued. “The unfair harassment suffered by the boxing champion will remain the biggest stain of these Olympic Games.”
The controversy surrounding Khelif began after her Olympic match on August 1 against Italian boxer Angela Carini, who withdrew from the match due to a severe nose injury. Following the match, Khelif became the target of hateful rhetoric and gender-based speculation, despite being assigned female at birth and having no transgender or intersex identity.
Critics of Khelif, including Rowling and Musk, questioned her eligibility to compete, citing her disqualification from the 2023 boxing world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA). Rowling, 59, posted several accusatory comments about Khelif, including one that alleged she was a man “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Musk, 53, echoed similar sentiments, reposting a statement from swimmer Riley Gaines that read, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” and added his own agreement with the words, “Absolutely.”
Outside of the legal action, Khelif addressed the controversy and the toll it took on her Olympic experience during an interview with SNTV, a partner of the Associated Press. Speaking in Arabic, Khelif called for the global community to uphold the principles of the Olympic Charter and to refrain from bullying athletes. “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif stated. “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people.”
Khelif’s case highlights the broader issue of cyberbullying and the impact of public figures’ statements on athletes’ lives. As the investigation unfolds, Khelif remains steadfast in her pursuit of justice and the preservation of her dignity as both an athlete and a human being.
